you can sing that everything takes forever

posted on May 7, 2006 at 9:46 pm

further thoughts on grant mclennan

i cant believe hes gonein the weeks before this ive been doing some solo showsi always play providencebut ive been doing ramble and thought that i was over youand bye bye prideamanda brown came to my last solo show at the icebergsgrant has a new song on the gb3 record (brilliant)i been thinking about him in lotsa small wayslistening to jack frostremembering olde timesgrant wasnt some minor talent now goneand everyone trying to make him into something morebelieve me, he was the real dealhe picked up a guitar and sangand you hadda originalno mistaking his voice, his songsi saw on amazon they gotta few copies of the 1st jack f recorddo yerselves a favourif you aint got it, get itim so proud of that recordthe only record i made (other than solo)that i actually hands on mixed myselfevery hour god sendsa lament about the iraq invasion in 1990-1thats me on verses, grant on chorusesi was horsing around in the studiosaying“oh that grant, he works every hour that god sends, that man”a standard lament i would hear as i was growing upbut grant turned it into a threateveryhour god sends…some wingseveryhour godsends …some stones all that wild electric guitar…thats granthe wasnt always thomas hardy ya knowhe could fuckin’ rock on the guitarandhe wazza great bass player toobirdownerwhen i first met him grant said he hadthousands of songtitles ready to goi asked him for a couplethe first title he said was birdownerwe wrote this about a witch who turns men into birdswe wrote all the lyrics togetherin a park in balmain one cold morningon a bench smoking a spliffcivil war lamentgrant had already written thisi loved it and i got to sing ithe could knock songs like this offlike most people write shopping listsi liked the ambiguity of“and all you do is carry on”to grant this meant that she continuedto me it had other connotationswe thrived on this kinda ambiguitygeneva 4 amagain i sing the versesgrant takes the chorusi guess no one will mind me saying nowthat grant had amanda b in mind when he wrote his bits for most of these songshe always seemed to get it back round to heri was imagining a bunch of lowlifes round a bar at an airportgrant turns it into pure longing“i look for you everywherebut i can find you anywhere”

trapeze boywe had a little bit of tape leftwe doodled and noodled on iti said to grantputta poem or story on therehe said i willhe did that first takei, in the control room, was stunned“funny how someone you never met, manages to stay with you”yes , granta lotta people feel that way about you now

providenceone of my fave songs ever by anybody anywhereobviously you can hear grants bits and my bitsso sadso much sadness in this song“remember when we were lovers, the things we used to do”it always gives me goosebumpsso romantic,so lost.

thought that i was over youwhat can i say about this one?everybodies felt like thisi dont think he did really ever get over her.

thresholdjack f gets funkymy music, grants lyrics n singing

number 11grant n i imagined we were lost in a plane crashi know you can keep me warmbeautiful, grant, beautiful

didnt know where i wasour 1st song we wrote togethersorta velvets-y i guess” a damaged doomed charles bronson, stumbling on this earth”who else could write stuff like thatboy, im gonna miss him

even as we speaki wrote and played the music on my owngrant walked straight inand sang itand made the words up on the spothow could he instantly come up with something so poignant?his words always fitted the music so perfectly

ramble is my songgrant was showing me the chords tostreets of your towni said lets get another song outta thathe played the electric guitarand you can hear his distinctive“its coming on again”it was all coming on for him againall the time

everything takes foreverour musicmy versesgrants chorusyou can sing with accordionsyou can sing with violinswe even put an oboe in therejust in case ya didnt completely getwho this song was addressed to

making this record wassa sheer delightgrant n i were equals in every wayhe laughed at my gothic dark sidei laughed at his country boy romantic sidewe steered a course right down the middlepulled each other into a new placethis record is one of the best records ever madeyou wont find more personal poignant love songs in rocksweeping windswept landscapesanger, jealousy, memoriesgrant was my dearest frienda real gentlemani wouldnt say so if it wasnt truethere was no one else on the planetwho i wanted to work with morehe taught me a lot about songsand songwritingit was a fucking privelege to work with himi loved this mani will play providence and other jack f songstill the day i dayand i hope that when i get to fucking heavengrant is waiting for mehis guitar strapped on“now, steven, are ya ready for our third album

That was so beautiful sk. My heart goes out to you losing such a friend you connected with totally.That Jack Frost album is one of my fav’s too, and it will be hard listening to it without sheding a tear now.

That was so beautiful sk. My heart goes out to you losing such a friend you connected with totally.That Jack Frost album is one of my fav’s too, and it will be hard listening to it without sheding a tear now.

My prayers go out to Grants family.He was an amazing musician. I have had his cd “Horsebreaker Star” in rotation since the day it was released.The Jack Frost was amazing, as was the second one…Thanks Grant for some great music.

I hadn’t seen Grant in quite a while. I didn’t even realise he was back in Brisbane. When I heard the news from a friend on Sunday morning, it really didn’t sink in. It was unreal, I think because I hadn’t seen him in such a long time. Then my partner and I started thinking about when we were first together, and we saw Grant quite a bit. Drinks at Ric’s, he was always there. Always so polite, sincere, low-key. So not an “I only talk to famous people” rock star (and I’ve met a few of them). He was a charming gentleman, a talented songwriter, and lovely company over an afternoon beverage. I just always thought I would bump into him again around the place, as we sometimes did – at the shops, in the street, and now I won’t, and that feels… wrong, and sad, and so empty.

I’m so saddened by the loss but I know your sadness must be 100 times worse, SK, to lose such an important friend. He was easily one of the best songwriters of the last 20-30 years, and is one of the few that could give you a run for your money. I’m sure you would have no problem admitting that. I can’t believe such a massive talent could be gone so suddenly. I wish him eternal rest, with the hope that you can see him again someday.

To SKProbably 5 years ago now, late one night on a lounge in a bar in Brisbane, I looked to my left where previously there was a space but now there was Grant McLennan, who had taken a seat with a companion. I’d seen him on a few occasions around the Valley before, and although I hero-worshipped the man in private to anyone who would listen, and had spent endless hours trying to play his songs on my guitar, I never felt comfortable going up to him and “being a fan”. On this occasion, given I had fortuitously found myself sitting next to him, and since both his friend and mine headed for a walk at the same time, I rationalised to myself that this time it might be OK to say hello. For a nano-second as I began I regretted it, but then as I said that “even as we speak” was one of my favorite songs, he swiftly turned his head to me, his face lit up, he extended his hand to thank me and then voluntarily recalled with glee his memory of you and him recording that song, how excited he was to do so, and how pleased he was with the end result. I remember being touched at how pleased he seemed to hear that even just one person really enjoyed that song, and I was left with an impression that recording that song and no doubt the whole album was very close to his heart. I’d seen him around the place a number of times since then, around the Valley, at concerts, and as recently as last Saturday at a wedding of some mutual friends, but as he always seemed so comfortable and content in his own space I never felt right approaching him again. I’m not one to usually make a post either, but having read your blog this morning I wondered whether you and others might be pleased to read this story.Michael, Brisbane.

thanx 4 sharin ya re-collections.Everyhour god sends was a choice song about that “war?”. It kicked. That album was good, still is. Even the filmclip was OK, those tv screens and silhouetes. Watershed is great, he also had some groovy style ~ cattle n cane ( the hat , the eyebrows), sang fearlessly, yet always emotionally exposed, THAT’S a talent in itself. You could believe the man, and his angle. I often wondered why he lucked out in love,( although he would admit it in his songs sometimes), human i guess.Bachelor kisses Grant.

thanks for the lovely words about grant and for giving us a glimpse into the songs on the first jack frost album…i have always cherished that record, and the songs continue to this day to send shivers down my spine… a beautiful album that you two made together…

Still thinking about Grant too.Your casual, heartfelt analysis of the songs from Jack Frost 1 are pure gold to a longtime fan.For fans who may not be familiar with Grant or JF, I’d like to mention how FANTASTIC the second JF record, ‘Snow Job’, is even tho its creation was (evidently) more difficult.Grant’s solo records are also wonderful and packed with gems. His voice makes you want to be his friend. How fortunate are those who were.Thankyou Steve.

I didnt know the Grant but he always seemed so energetic on stage – it’s something special when you can see a performer really wanting to give something sincere to an audience with a smile.He reminded me of Dave Dobbyn in that regard.A shame he had to live with such a broken heart.

He seemed to have this prismatic perspective that shone a light on all the myriad landscapes of the heart-veldt: rivers of longing (“stones for you”, …), lakes of regret (“dark side of town”, …), peaks of jubilation (“one plus one”, …) , chasms of hoplessness (“things will change”, …), swamps of bitterness (“someone else’s wife”, …), deep forests of mystery (“riddle in the rain”, …), and whole oceans of acute observation (“bye bye pride”, …).

His life’s work has been a veritable atlas for me, and will continue to be my guide for as long as I can still make out the contours he carved, in the dim light that remains.

But now the age of exploration is over and never again will a dark continent be charted by this Soulfarer Magellan.

maybe it’s a sign that you should have “birdowner” in a movie to give homage to grant and to his songwriting ability. i know you are hurting, so am i, deep deep down, may peace be with us all, jack frost will live on…mjnjr

Sigh…this is just so wrong! Damn! I could hardly believe what I was reading when I pulled up SK’s blog.

I have all his solo records, both Jack Frost of course, and some Go-Betweens…I’ve spent many an hour banging out his tunes on acoustic guitar (“Hot Water”, “Stones For You”, “Bye Bye Pride”, “Bachelor Kisses” are faves, along with the JF tunes)…and I’ve always marveled at his easy, effortless-seeming way with melody and a wry turn of phrase.

He is already missed. What he gave won’t be forgotten–we’ll all make sure of that.

I offer my condolences. Strangely, and quite unconsciously, I was noodling around on my bass guitar last Sunday and the part for “Every Hour God Sends” emanated from it. I hadn’t listened to the Jack Frost album in ages. Then I find out today about Grant’s passing. A tragic loss for Australian music from a beautiful song writer & soulful performer.

Talk about chance.When I was in high school my fav band was the church(still is) and my best mates fav band at school was the Go-Betweens he was a real fanatic, any way we spent a year comparing bands or rather trying to turn each other on to the bands(making tapes), which is when I started to dabble w/ the GB’s.So you can guess our suprise when JF formed a year later!Anyway I love that first album and I have made many people sit down and listen to it. Ramble was the first thing that came into my head when I heard about Grant.I remember how excited I was when I saw the video to Every Hour God Sends and went out and bought a pair of sunnies(Raybands, I think?) the same as the drummer.I saw you show at the Continental Melbourne and my most treasured poster was from that gig don’t think they were for sale, I nicked it off the wall of the cafe after the show.In 2000? I went to Dublin (meant to be a year lasted only a couple of months)by myself never being over seas before and was a little lonely but my biggest memory was walking aound St. Stephens green and temple bar listening to The Friends of Rachel Worth it really kept me company tha twas all I listern to, pretty much.How strange that I fell in love with a beautiful Swedish girl in Dublin ,just like in (he lives my life)and then I’m thinking wasn’t SK involved with a swedish girl, how very churchy. Anyway 4 years later (long email romance) my Swedish girl comes and visits me and we listen to JF, GB’s & The church. Songs are for some reason the way I diary my life or how I remember where and when I was.

I will dearly miss Grant“funny how someone you never met, manages to stay with you” How true how very true

Grant’s music affected and moulded so many people close to my heart. My life’s soundtrack is comprised of many of his songs. Delicate, thoughtful and honest,his songs have evoked me to the point of tears. Today, I do the same but with silence..

it was a long time agoduring the albion st daysI had the good fortuneto meet Granthe could engage you in conversationenthusiastic and knowledgeable about musica true craftsmanmy condolences go outto Grant’s family and friends

Very sad news. I think I wrote previously here of when I saw GB’s in Frankston wtih People With Chairs Up Their Noses. Really early gig, ’79 – early RRR. Mechanics Hall.

I’ve always been really proud to have the vinyl of Send Me A Lullaby, especially. All angular and raw, but passion, authenticity, inventive, deceptive. Pre-Church, too. “The Girls Have Moved”, “People Know”, “Your Turn, My Turn”. “Cattle and Cane” was something really special, but the kind of ghosts of longing are there in the The Girls Have Moved.

I’m sorry, SK. Didn’t know about Jack Frost with GM. I look forward to the pleasure. More importantly, it’s a wonderful thing to know you two made a connection and it’s a great thing to feel you honour a special friendship. My condolences and Love and thanks. The music lives on.

There are VERY few artists whose work I would consistently collect without question and GW was one of those few to me. For the past two days I’ve been listening to a best of compilation I made several months ago it’s still hard to believe there won’t be any more or those beautiful catchy tunes on the horizon.

I’m terribly sorry for your loss. My heartfelt condolences go out to you. What you wrote here was poignant and beautiful, a wonderful tribute.

I only know Grant’s work through Jack Frost (I love both albums – been listening to the first one frequently over the past few months, always hoping for another collaboration, another glimpse of the magic, the alchemy of this potent combination). I’m obviously long overdue for a foray into this man’s work. I look forward to it very much. What an incredible mark he’s left on so many people.

I am at a loss for words.Thanks for another great blog, SK.I can only imagine the deepsenselessness you must feel insideof yourself at this moment.One of the thoughts that runsthrough my mind when someone likethis passes is that there will beno more new music from them, andthat makes what remains even moreprecious. I agree with the personwho said that JF sounded new andfresh today, like they were listening for the first time.You have every right to be extremelyproud of that CD, Steve.Could you tell us what“cousin/angel” was about? Thatwas always one of my fav JF songs.I respected Grant deeplyand I am very sad about this.God Bless.TP

that is true – gw was one of the few musicians that one could blindly purchase a recording from and never be disappointed. why? because his songs were carved from his heart and soul and set loose without filtration. he never allowed his brain to get in the way of his feelings or their intimacy. he once told me that he wanted his recordings to sound like you are there in the room with him. as i sit here listening to “finding you”, i have no doubt he is now here in the room with me. whenever and whereever his songs are played, he will be there with all of us. love and peace to all.

On the same day Grant McLennan died in his sleep, on the opposite side of the planet earth, my brother’s wife gave birth to their first child, my mother’s first grandchild. Noah Jack Burkley was born at 5:27 PM Eastern time. The Go-Betweens were one of my favorite bands, and that’s why this news was sad. I have listened to Grant’s voice for years, but never met him, yet he manages to stay with me as he will with many.

Condolences to the McLennan family.

May 6, a bittersweet date.

I haven’t met Noah, my nephew yet either. The earth and universe have this unperceivable exchange of life force that we all face and feel.

beautiful and soul felt Steve…you have had an experience that we would cherish to have for 5 mins…those memories will remain strong, those are the memories that will continue on past this time, those memories will linger to make u laugh and infuse you with inspiration and reason to continue..don’t get caught in now..we live in the future, that’s where it happens; yesterdays are past tomorrows..

I realise more and more every day about Grant.I love The Go-Betweens exactly as I love U.

And I can’t believe it…

Back in 2003.I was lucky enough to go and see them in Brussels.In the 16th of May it was.I really felt privileged then.A year later, it was your turn to play there.

Robert & Grant I knew as being very funny and nice guys.Yet with a little touch of melancholy…I wanted to see them since the very late 80’s.At last they played in Europe, not too far from my home.How could I miss them ??I didn’t have the right to !I absolutely had to go and see them.It was a must, a need, a priority.It was now or never…

It took me nearly 5 hours to go to Brussels.I didn’t mind going there, despite my lack of money…It really was worth the effort.‘Cause I knew I wouldn’t see them again so soon…I wanted, I needed to see them.It was the best band I had ever seen yet then.Later it was U.At last.

The 2 greatest bands in the world.

It was nearly 3 years ago.How strange.

One kind 40 year-old man I knew some years beforeTold me they were one of the best bands in the world.He knew everything about music.He knew very well what was good and what was bad.And so, he highly recommended me one record :’16 Lovers Lane’.He was right.

That man was a darling.That man I am missing.That man I’d love to see again.And I wish I had seen The Go-Betweens with him then…

I need to see you all more than ever.‘Cause, just like one famous French singer, Barbara, said :“Ma plus belle histoire d’amour c’est vous”.In English :‘My most beautiful love story is U’.

WHY ????Why do all those nice people have to go ??It is unfair !…

We are in the heart of Spring.Outside, the sun is shining bright.And I suddenly get speechless…And I feel so sad, so bad, so sorry…

I was shocked when I read the news online the other day. I only came to know Grant’s work through Jack Frost (knew go-betweens streets of your town, but that was it) and I was intrigued to dig deeper.

I met grant once in DC back in late 90’s on a tour with just him and Robert on acoustic. good show. he was a pleasant and seemingly humbly guy. we discussed Jack Frost. Just an easy soul to be around.

I am very saddened by the news. It’s never the right time to let someone go. But we are part of the cycle and we move on. I like to think that there is life after this realm and he is somewhere in some other form and in the collective a remeberance and knowing that the next stage is here. Maybe a smiling baby cooing and laughing for his/her doting parents. Write another one Grant. Love. Brian